Air-induction cleaning apparatus



R. P. SWEENY.

AIR INDUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-I8. 1921.-

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

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, j ging, 52M g W R. P. SWEENY.

AIR INDUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS.

Patnted Aug. 22, 1922.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG- IB. 1921- 2"" I? 20 v ZZ IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII II W I"IIIHMWIHI u ROBERT P. SWEENY, OF UNION, SOUTH CAROLINA;

AIR-INDUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Papted Aug. 22,

Application filed August is, 1921. Serial No. 493,260.

T all whomit mayconcern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT P. SwnnNY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union, in the county of Union and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Induction Cleaning Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in air induction cleaning apparatus, and has for an object to provide an improved apparatus for the cleaning and removal of cotton, dust and refuse that collects on and under machinery, on floors, walls, ceilings, etc., in textile mills, but-of course it will be understood that the invention may be used for numerous other pur poses, and in general wherever a device of this kind is found to be applicable.

An object of the invention resides inso constructing and designing the air induction chamber as to insure a direct and unobstructed passage of thematerial from the intake nozzle to the collector or receiver.

At the present time apparatus of this character always contains an induction nozzle or air jet which is placed'in and obstructs the passage leading from the intake nozzle to the collector or receiver. This seriously interferes with the easy passage of the collected material which thus tends to accumulate about the induction nozzle or et and to clog the passage and also seriously limit I the quantity and character of the material out the' several views,

' Fig. 1 is a side view with parts shown in section of an improved portable apparatus constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with a portlon of the apparatus shown in section on the line 22 in F 1g." 1; i

orric. f

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary viewof the induction chamber and nozzle;

Fig. 1 is a sectional'view on the lined-'4 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6'6 in Fig. 3;

' Fig. 7 is a like in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is an end view taken from'the right of Fig. 3; i

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view with parts shown in elevation of asl'ightly modified form of apparatus; a l v I I Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the same Fig. 11 is an enlargedsidevievv of the induction chamber and nozzle; Fig. .12 is a sectional view taken on the line 1212 in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is also a sectional view taken on the line 13-13 in Fig. 11;

view on the line 7 -7 also Fig. 14 is a similar view taken on theline r 141 1a in Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is an end vie ofthe device shown in Fig. 11; and I I I Fig. 16 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 1.6 16 inFig. 9. y '3 Referring more particularly to the drawings. and for the present to sheetl, 1 designates aportable cabinet mounted for move ment upon the rollers 2 an d having installed thereupon a fan or blower 3 driven by an electric, gas or other motor 4, the shaft 5 of which is extended to the shaft of the blower 3 forming a direct drive therewith. The motor 1 receives current from plug and socket connections or'through other well known sources. An arm 6 projecting from one side of the cabinet 1 constitutes a support fora cylinder 7 having a hopper 8 in its lower portion which projects down inwardlv into'a' flexible bag 9held suspended from the lower end of the cylinder 7 In accordance with a preferred construction the lower edge portion of thecylinder is rolled outwardly and provided with a head 10, and the upper edge 11 of the sackisfiequipped with a draw string whereby it may be pulled tightly about the cylinder 7, and be supported from the head 10. An exceedingly appropriate support for the bag is thus pro duced and one which will permit of the bag being readily attached and removed.

The hopper 8 is provided with a gate or valve 12 which is preferably spring closed and opens by weight of the material which accumulates in the hopper, 8. The top part of the cylinder is open save for a number of screens 13 which permit of the ascent of the air therethrough but avoid the passage of dustor other particles which are caused to gravitate in the cylinder.

The intake pipe let from the blower apparatus is introduced tangentially into the cylinder 7, as indicated in 1* 2, to thereby create a swirling action just below a spiral rib 15 that extends about the walls of the cylinder 7. his spiral rib is preferably inclined downwardly from the outside wall of the cylinder 7 toward the center thereof, as may be most clearly seen. in Fig. 1. This formation causes the material to descend and to move circumferentially in the cylinder so that as soon as it loses its buoyancy it may fall into the hopper 8 and thence into the sack or bag 3. l

The suction nozzle is indicated at 16 and is carried on the end of a flexible hose 1? which connects with a pipe 18 disposed above the blower casing. The pipe 18 merges into a, pipe section 19 which is round at its left hand end where it communicates with the pipe 15% and is flat or rectangular in cross section at its opposite end on the line 6-6 in Fig. 3, as clearly represented in Figure 6. 7'

The intermediate portions of the pipe sections 19 are flattened along triangular lines 20, as indicated to best advantage in Fig. 3, so that the development of the pipe section from the round to the rectangular formation progresses gradually t 1 out its length from the left to the right as shown or in the same direction with the passage of the air current. The pipe section 19 extends into and in fact forms 1 portion of a Venturi tube. The intermediaterestricted portion 21 of the Venturi tube is adjacent the pipe section 19 which is made of a restricted cross section where it merges with the portion 21 and is of an enlarged diameter where such pipe section 19 connects with the pipe- 18. The pipe section 19 is, in other words, reduced gradually in diameter, andin like manner the pipe section 22 which forms the other portion. of the Venturi tube gradually increases in diameter from the left toward the. right or from its point of connection with the portion 21 to its free outletend within the cylinder 7 The restricted portion 21 of the Venturi tube ls larger generally as compared to the pipe section 19in order to accommodate an induction nozzle which. lies beneath the pipe-19 and may, for advantages in construction, be soldered or welded thereto 01? S1 3."

pended therefrom in any desired. manner. The pipe section 23 is likewise flattened along the triangular lines 2 1 so that it is round in cross section, as indicated in Fig. 5, where it connects with the blower 3 and is rectangular or widened out laterally where 1t connects with the Venturi restricted tube portion 21. The induction nozzle 23 communicates directly with the fan casing 3 and re ceives the air therefrom and directs it into the restricted portion of the Venturi tube. The various sections of the Venturi tube and its allied pipes are shown in Figs. 1 to 8 in elusive. An advantage of this construction is that the air being introduced at the restricted portion 21 ofthe Venturi tube creates a great suction at the nozzle 16 and in the hose 17, pipe 18 and pipe section 19, and in this way creates a very strong draft and exercises a relatively great lifting power on the material such as dust, cotton, etc., to which the nozzle 16 is applied.

Moreover the draft of air through the induction nozzle 23 is directed along the base of the Venturi tube 21 and in a widespread jet so that it exercises an unimpeded and un-- interrupted influence. It will be noted that the induction tube 23 does not extend into the pipe section 19 nor interrupt the continuity of the flow of the air, nor does it re-' strict the size of the pipe nor obstruct it in any manner. The widened portion 22 of the Venturi tube will also give free vent for'the expansion of the air after passing through the restricted portion 21 and will thereby create a further suction.

The accumulated matter entering the cylinder 7 will separate in the enlarged chamber there provided, the air naturally rising upward will pass out through the screens 13, while the heavier matter, such as cotton, dust, etc., will settle toward the bottom of the chamber 7 in which it will be assisted by the spiral rib 15. As soon as a sufficient amount of matter accumulates in the hopper S, the gate 12 will open and allow the same to descend in the bag 9/ When the bag is full it is removed and the draw string 11 tightened so that it is in condition for shipment or removal, and a subsequent fresh bag may be similiarly put in its place Referring more particularly to Figs. 9 to inclusive, the apparatus herein shown is substantially the samein many respects as compared with the apparatus already described, except for the fact that legs or standards 25 are provided directly upon the cylinder 7 and the standards carry rollers 26 which come in contact with the supporting surface and serve to suspend the cylinder and the bag 9. -A bracket 27 employed to hold the Venturi tube in conjunction with the cylinder 7 and connected pipe sections. The pipe or induction nozzle 28 is made onto the other parts of the induction chamber :21 and the end is threaded as shown, so that a hose line containing compressed air, Which is obtained from some distant and independent source,

can be easily screwed on.

In this case, as in the other, the part- 18 is rounded, While the pipe section 19 is flattened gradually and assumes, as in dicatedin Fig. 13, a substantially square cross section. The progressive portions of the Venturi'tube are illustrated in Figs. 1 and 15f It will be understood that the suction It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically desired embodiment of this inven tion Without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. I

What is claimed is z- I 1. In air induction cleaning apparatus, an elongated hollow member of substantially Yenturi tube formatiomsaid member having partition in 'one end dividing said end into an upper induction chamber and a lower induction nozzle, said chamber and nozzle each being substantially cylind ical in cross section at their outer ends tor attachment to pipes and the like, and

gradually merging at their inner ends into substantiall rectangular ClOSS-SfiftiOB with the partition forming a common. relatively broad wall whereby a column of air issurug from the induction nozzle into the member is adapted to contact With the column oi I air issuing from the induction chamber throughout a relatively Wide area for effecting a rapid and forceful feeding of the :air,

" 2. In air induction induction cliambcr'otf nitially round cross from the induction chamber, substantially as described.

cleaning apparatus, an

section terminating in a rectangular cross sectionj an induction nozzle' disposed sub stantially" parallel vWith the chamber and having a COIIIIHOIIWalltllBlGWitll and adapted to introduce air thereinto in asubsta'n- 1 tially flat, Wide stream-at the rectangular:

portion thereof, substantiallyas described.

3. In an induct on cleaning apparatuaan induction chamber having a flat inner end adapted to deliver a relatively broad stream of fluid therefrom and an induction nozzle havinga relatively broad end opening at i 1 l 7Ov said flat inner end of saidchamber for delivering the fiuid'under pressurein a substantially fiat Wide stream tor. surface contact throughout a relat vely wide area With the stream of fluid issuing from said induc tion chamber, substantially as described.

a. In airinduction cleaning apparatus, a Venturi tube having an inlet end divided into branches individually roundedfor attachment to pipes, said branches merging into the Venturi tube. With a relatively broad,

common division Wall there between, one

ot said branches' being adapted to receive fluid under pressure for passage through the Venturi tube and adapted to contact with the column of fluid from the other branch throughout 'a relatively Wide area,

said "other branch, substantially as decribed.

5. In 'an-air induction cleanin a ara I tus, ifenturi tube having. an inlet end.

tapering, toward the restricted portion of the Venturitube and being o'f'smaller diain eter as compared with the restricted portion of the tube, said inlet end being round,

ed at its outerwiderportion for attachment 1 i substantially triangular lines forconvergingsaid inlet, end from around cross-secwherebyto eiiect afoi'ceful suction through to a nine and having Walls flattened along 1 side the rectangular portion of said inlet 1 end, substantially as described.

BOBERT'P. SWEENY. 

